These are the Moments
by ark the wanderer
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots that center around Harry and Ginny--each chapter is independent of the others. The stories in this collection talk of moments shared between Harry and Ginny. You can say that these are the moments of their lives.
1. Venus

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

**A/N:** This first fic is actually the reason why I thought of making this collection. It was too short to be a proper one-shot and I couldn't fit it in any of the full stories I am currently writing. I really liked this one though and I didn't want to leave it sitting in my computer, not seeing the light of day. I hope you like this too.

You can also think of this fic as a sample of sorts. I've already written two more and will be uploading them shortly. Reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks.

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**Venus**

Harry saw her sitting in the garden, her arms crossed. She was gazing upwards at the evening sky, her head resting on the back of the chair.

"Hey," greeted Harry as he knelt beside her. "I've been looking for you. What's up?"

Ginny took her eyes away from the heavens to look at Harry. She smiled brightly at him then motioned to the sky. Harry looked up. It was the dark of the moon and the sky was cloudy. Only one object was bright enough to be seen that early evening.

"Stargazing again?" said Harry.

"Venus," said Ginny. "She's beautiful," she added, grinning at Harry, whose gaze was still on the planet.

Harry looked down and turned to Ginny, who had returned her gaze to the moonless sky. She had let her hair down the back of the chair and it was dancing gracefully to the light breeze. Her face, from her brown eyes down her perfectly formed nose to her curled lips, was lit up in a smile that was hers and hers alone. It showed kindness and mischief, hope and contentment, calmness and excitement. It promised him a bright future that he had thought possible only in his wildest dreams.

Harry grinned then, a bright, happy, contented grin. He stared at her for a minute or two, then turned his gaze back to the sky.

"Yes, she is beautiful," he murmured, not quite thinking of Venus.


	2. New Hair

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**A/N:** I had a hard time wrapping this one up. And then I ended up with two endings. I'm not really sure which one is better. So I'll just let you choose which one you like. The 'wrap up' starts after the two stars (**). Well, I hope you like this. Reviews are very much appreciated, thank you. And please tell me which ending you liked better.

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"Well?" Ginny asked Harry, her hands on her hips.

"It's uh… different," replied Harry.

"Different?" asked Ginny, raising her eyebrows at Harry's noncommittal answer. "Better?"

"No," said Harry quickly. He cast around for the right words. "It's refreshing!"

Ginny, who had been grinning the whole time, smiled even wider. "Refreshing? Come on Harry, that's a safe answer," she said. "Honestly, what do you really think? Do you like it better? Come on, I won't get mad."

"I don't know, Ginny. I mean, yes I like it. But do I like it better, I don't know," Harry said honestly. "I mean, I don't really care if your hair's long or short or whatever. You could go bald and I'd still think that you're the cutest, hottest, prettiest woman in the world."

Ginny relaxed her arms, her teasing grin turned into a congratulatory one. "Good answer," she told Harry, taking a seat beside him on the sofa. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a reward kiss.

Harry grinned back at Ginny. He ran his hands through the ends of her formerly long hair, which now stopped about an inch short of her shoulder.

"I had guessed it was a good answer," Harry said proudly.

"Yeah, a little overdone, but still a good answer," said Ginny teasingly.

Harry smiled wider, knowing that she was only teasing him. He put his arms around her waist and initiated the kiss this time.

"Why'd you cut your hair, though?" asked Harry.

**

Ending 1:

"Felt like it. I got bored with my long hair. I wanted to give you the shock of your life. Pick one."

"I like the last one," said Harry. "I won't really call it the shock of my life though. It's not even shocking. You know, I'm not even surprised about it."

"Oh yeah?" said Ginny, raising an eyebrow at Harry. "How about this—"

Ginny lunged at Harry and gave him a very deep and sensual kiss that lasted for minutes. Or maybe it was a month, Harry didn't care—he had lost track of time.

Ginny ended the kiss just as suddenly as she'd started it. "Shocked yet?" she asked Harry.

"Okay—that—just made—my year," said Harry in between breaths. And he did look quite shocked.

**

Ending 2:

"Felt like it," said Ginny with a shrug.

Harry chuckled and shook his head at Ginny's impulsiveness. It was one of the things he loved about her. And for some reason, he found the new hair extremely attractive. They've been together for three years and still she's able to make him feel like he's got butterflies in his stomach. Right now, all he can do is stare at her, short hair and all.

"You are extremely cute," Harry said finally, running his hands through her hair.

"Extremely cute, huh?" said Ginny. "Well, I think I can accept that."

"That was a good statement wasn't it?" said Harry. "So, how about that kiss then?"

"Dream on," said Ginny, gently turning Harry's face away from her. She stood up and walked a few steps away from him. Suddenly, she turned around, sat on his lap, and gave him a very long and deep kiss. Then, just as suddenly, she ended the kiss and walked away, leaving Harry sitting on the sofa, breathing heavily, his heart beating two times faster.

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**A/N: **

I saw this movie once where the girl was cheating on the guy and the guy asks the girl how it felt sleeping with the other guy. The girl answers 'different', and the guy asks if 'different' means 'better'. So you ask what my point is? The point is that I wanted people to think at the start that Harry was cheating on Ginny. It's kind of sick when I say it that way. But you can call it a micro-mini-plot-device. Dunno if people believed it though.

As for Ginny's short hair, I read a fic somewhere where Harry didn't allow Ginny to cut her hair and Ginny seemed perfectly okay with it. Now, I don't know about you, but that doesn't make sense to me. If Ginny wanted to cut her hair I don't think that anyone, including Harry, could stop her. So you can say that this fic is an answer to that fic I've read.

I apologize for the title. Not all of us are as brilliant as JK.

Please. Review. Thanks.


	3. Like Quidditch or The Hole Thing

**AN:** I couldn't decide which was the better title for this fic: "Like Quidditch" or "The Hole Thing". So I'm taking the easy way out by letting you choose the title for yourself.

Please review guys. I would really like to know what people think about this.

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It was the best day of the year—Saturday in the middle of spring. Everyone in Hogwarts is taking advantage of the beautiful afternoon—lounging by the lake, lying in the grass, flying in the pitch, chatting in the courtyard. Everyone, that is, except for the fifth years and the seventh years. And one raven-haired sixth year.

Harry Potter sat across his girlfriend in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny was completing her Potions essay. When she finished with that, she'll have to do another one for Charms. It will be late into the night before she's finished with all her work. Harry could have chosen to take advantage of the afternoon along with everyone else, but staring at Ginny was a lot more enjoyable.

Harry is staring at Ginny for two reasons. One, she was very beautiful. She was biting her lip in concentration, making it redder than it usually is. A strand of hair fell in front of her face but she ignored this. There was a smudge of ink on her cheek, she ignored this too. Harry wanted to tuck her hair behind her ear and kiss her red lips, but he contented himself with staring.

Reason number two: he was thinking about her. It was rather redundant that he was thinking about her _while_ sitting right in front of her—not to mention staring—but he was thinking all right. Ginny had that effect on people. He wondered how he hadn't noticed her earlier. All those years that they could've been together are now left only to speculation because he was, quite apparently, the thickest bloke in Hogwarts.

Ginny knew that Harry's eyes never left her the moment he sat down in front of her. That was about two hours ago. She was starting to wonder whether he had developed a stiff neck. Finally, she looked up and met his gaze. He was wearing that warm, contented smile. The one that made you think that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his world. The one he always wore when they were together. Ginny liked to think that it was because of her. There was also something else—he was thinking.

"What?" she asked him.

"Just thinking," he replied peacefully, still staring at her.

Ginny cocked her head sideways and raised her eyebrows, urging Harry to elaborate.

"You know, about us," said Harry. "I guess… I just wish I'd realized how I felt about you earlier. I wish I'd asked you out sooner. We could have been together long before…."

Ginny smiled at him, matching his intent gaze for a long while.

"But it doesn't matter, does it?" said Ginny as she wrote on her parchment. "We're together now," she added, meeting Harry's eyes.

Harry thought about it. "No, I guess not," he agreed. "But it's just one of those things, you know."

Ginny looked questioningly at him.

"I mean, it's like Quidditch," explained Harry. "Before I came to Hogwarts, I didn't know about Quidditch and it was fine. But now, I can't help but wonder how I got through the boredom of not being able to play Quidditch."

"Are you comparing me to Quidditch?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"No!" said Harry quickly. "I—" he stopped when he saw the expression on Ginny's face. She was teasing him, but he went on to explain anyway. "What I'm saying is, before we got together, I thought I was okay. But now that we're together, I'm starting to wonder how I got through all those years when we weren't. It's like…." he paused as he tried to find the right words. "It's like walking through life and finding something. And then you realize that that something fills a hole in your life that you didn't know you had. And now that you've found that something, you know that you once had that hole and you start to wonder how you could've lived with that giant hole."

Harry looked hopelessly at Ginny. If he wasn't mistaken, he was talking to her about holes. "I am babbling, aren't I? I know I'm not making any sense, it's just—it's hard to explain. I'm just really—"

"I know what you mean Harry," said Ginny, looking sincerely at him. "It's not really something that can be put into words."

"Yes! Exactly!" agreed Harry.

"Come, sit beside me," said Ginny.

Harry complied only too eagerly. Ginny grabbed his collar and started kissing him.

"Ginny, are you sure about this?" asked Harry. "What about your homework?"

"Oh, bugger that," said Ginny. "It's a beautiful day and I'm going to play professional Quidditch anyway."

Harry grinned at her. He put one hand on Ginny's waist and the other on her head and started kissing her.

"How _did_ you live without Quidditch?" Ginny asked Harry as they pulled away.

"I think I've explained it to you," said Harry. "The hole thing, remember?"

"Oh yeah, the hole thing," Ginny managed to say before Harry pulled her into another kiss.

"How's that hole then?" Ginny asked Harry as the kiss ended.

"Filled to overflowing," Harry said grandly as he tapped his chest with his fist twice.

Ginny giggled and started kissing Harry again. Harry grinned into the kiss. It _is_ the best day of the year.

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******Quidditch is the best sport in the world. I wish we had the technology to make Quidditch possible.


	4. Letter

**AN:** Well, I hope you guys like this. Reviews please... I love reviews... thank you..

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Ginny stared at the owl with an apprehensive expression on her face. Her hands trembled slightly as she untied the letter it was carrying.

"Open it," she said to Harry, who was hovering beside her. Her eyes were shut tight as she stretched out her hand to give the letter to him.

"What? Gin, I can't open this," he said in an amused voice. "It's for you—"

"Please, Harry, just read it," she said. She looked pleadingly up at him. "Read it to me."

Harry smiled fondly at her. He took the letter from her and opened it. He unfolded the parchment and started to open his mouth, but Ginny put up her hands to her hears and shut her eyes tightly.

"Ginny, come on, this is silly—"

Ginny opened one eye and Harry couldn't help but laugh at how cute she looked with her hands covering her ears and one eye shut tight.

"What did it say?" she asked nervously.

Harry started to open his mouth again, but Ginny closed both her eyes again and started humming loudly with her hands still covering her ears.

"Ginny, you're being silly," said Harry. He tried to uncover her ears but she wouldn't give in. He gave it up as a bad job and started talking over her loud humming instead. "You got it Ginny! You got the Chaser position for the Harpies! Practice starts next week!"

Apparently, she didn't hear a word of what he said because she kept on humming, her eyes still closed and her ears still covered. Harry grabbed Ginny's forearms with his hands—his left hand on her right, his right hand on her left. He tried tugging her hands but she forcefully kept them over hear ears.

Harry stood back, his hands still on her arms, and saw the perfect opportunity. With Ginny's eyes still closed, Harry leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips. A few seconds later, he pulled back and Ginny's eyes fluttered open. Harry took the chance and waved the letter in front of her.

"You got it!" he exclaimed happily at her.

"What?" she asked, not daring to believe what he just said.

"You got the position," Harry said again.

"Really?" she asked him excitedly, and before Harry could answer, she took the parchment from his hands and read it herself, her eyes running quickly from left to right. "I got it!" she exclaimed happily when she'd finished reading.

Harry laughed again. "Yes, that's what I've been trying to tell you!" he told Ginny, matching her excitement with his own.

"I got it!" Ginny said again. Then she lunged at Harry and wrapped her arms around his neck as she jumped up and down excitedly. "I love you Harry!" she said happily. Then she started kissing him passionately.

Harry looked at her dizzily when they broke apart, her arms still around his neck and his hands on her hips. He decided right then and there to intercept all the good news that come Ginny's way and deliver it himself. He opened his mouth to tell her what he always tells her, what he never tires of telling her. To say the most honest and heartfelt words he'll ever speak.

"I love you too, Ginny."


	5. Original OR Unoriginal

**AN:** What does one do when one is stuck in the house with a nasty bout of fever? Write an H/G one shot of course!

This story is a product of my fever, but I promise you it's good. At least I think it's good. I wish I'd come up with this before February 14th, then I could have uploaded it as a Valentines' day fic (it would be quite appropriate, as you'll find out if you read this). But inspiration (or illness) doesn't exactly strike at the time you need them to...

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I hope you guys review this one too, after all I got off from my warm and comfortable bed just to write this one down. But no pressure, honestly. :D

Like one of my other fics, I can't decide what to call this one. So you can just pick out which you like better: 'Original' or 'Unoriginal'. It's only 2 letters' difference anyway....

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Ginny looked around the Burrow's living room, checking if she had missed anything. She saw her book, _Chasers_, on the table beside the sofa and picked it up. Harry had given her that book for Christmas. She put it in the box, which contained her other things that had been lying around the Burrow. She surveyed the room one more time and, satisfied that she had gotten everything, she picked the box up and headed for her bedroom.

Except that it won't be her bedroom anymore. Well, it would still be her bedroom but starting next week, she'd be sleeping somewhere else. She had been playing for the Harpies for almost a year now and with her nineteenth birthday coming closer, she decided that she had enough money and was old enough to have her own flat.

Ginny had asked Harry to help her pack the stuff in her room so she expected to see him putting her things in boxes but when she opened her bedroom door, a different sight greeted her. The boxes were there, and some of her things were in it, but Harry was sprawled on the floor. She could clearly see tears streaming down his face and he was curled in a semi-fetal position, shaking in silent laughter. Ginny looked at him with a half-amused, half-curious expression on her face and put the box she'd been carrying on the table before taking a seat on her bed.

"Oi, what's wrong with you?" she asked with an amused expression on her face. She toed his stomach gently to get his attention.

Harry looked up at her from the floor and if possible, he laughed even harder. Ginny laughed at him laughing.

"_What_ are you laughing about?"

Harry wordlessly shot out his arm and handed a parchment to Ginny. She took the parchment from him and before she'd even read three words of what was written on it, she started laughing hysterically. She whipped her head backwards and rolled onto her bed, unable to sit up from her mirth.

Harry was the first one to recover and slowly, between breaths of laughter, he stood up and sat on the bed. Ginny sat up moments later as she regained her composure. They sat comfortably for a while, the silence broken from time to time by small bursts of laughter.

"That was the single most embarrassing moment of my life in Hogwarts, you know," he told her in a mock-stern voice.

"I'm sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all.

"Yes, you should be sorry—"

Harry was cut off as Ginny burst into another round of laughter.

"_What_ are you laughing about?" he asked as she sobered up.

"Sorry, the image of twelve year old you being pinned to the ground by a dwarf wearing a cupid costume just came to my head," she managed to say before laughing loudly again. "That was really funny wasn't it?"

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one being pinned to the ground."

"Hey, don't get me wrong, that was really embarrassing for me too—mortifying, even. But when you think of it now…." Ginny paused to let out a reminiscent chuckle. "Come on, you thought it was funny too."

Harry grinned at her. "Yeah, it is," he conceded. "I never thought you kept that, though," he added, pointing to the parchment in Ginny's hand.

"Well, I didn't mean to. Where'd you find this anyway?"

Harry picked up Ginny's _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1_ from the floor and held it up to Ginny as a way of reply.

"Oh yeah," said Ginny. "I remember now, the dwarf gave it back to me. Said it wasn't wanted. You broke my poor eleven year old heart then," she added jokingly as she crinkled her nose playfully and lightly tapped Harry's cheek twice.

Harry's face fell for a bit. "I'm sorry," he said. Then he brightened up again. "Want me to make up for that?"

Ginny raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. "How?"

Harry threw the _Standard Book of Spells_ into one of the boxes. Ginny grinned widely at him, that is, before Harry opened his mouth.

"Her eyes are as brown as freshly made chocolate," Harry began, his grin reaching from ear to ear.

"Oh, NO!" Ginny cried out. She put her hands over her ears to drown out Harry's voice. "Please, not that!"

If possible, Harry's grin went even wider. He started tickling her so that she would take her hands from her ears. Ginny gripped Harry's arms with her now free hands but he was far too strong for her.

"Her hair is as fiery as… fire," continued Harry.

"That doesn't even rhyme!" Ginny exclaimed before drowning in another peal of laughter.

She let out a rather girlish shriek as Harry hit a particularly ticklish area. Harry had her pinned to the bed now, there was no escape.

"I can't believe she's mine," Harry continued, sounding more serious than he did a while ago. "She's really divine…" He leaned in to peck her lips. "The heroine who defeated... the Arrows," he finished as he kissed her chastely again.

Ginny smiled up at him as they broke apart. "Harry, that is so unoriginal," she commented jokingly.

But she had stopped struggling under him. Harry drew his face close to hers until he could swear that he was taking in the air she was breathing out. They held each other's gaze for a while, seeing their reflections in the other's eyes.

He felt his heart beating faster than normal, beating against hers. He leaned forward and planted his lips against hers. He'd meant the kiss to be chaste, but once their lips met, he couldn't stop himself. He started biting her lower lip, then Ginny's tongue roamed into his mouth, licking his teeth. He met her tongue with his a moment later and he tasted strawberry, peppermint, and a taste he'd come to know as hers alone. A few minutes later, they broke apart, Ginny's teeth didn't let go of Harry's lower lip until at the last possible instance. They looked at each other as their hearts started beating normally again.

"The heroine… who saved me," said Harry, amending the last line of his poem. He looked into Ginny's eyes with the most sincere expression he had ever worn.

Ginny smiled contentedly at him as she pulled his face into hers and she started another kiss. This one lasted longer than the last and they only pulled back when they heard a door slamming in the kitchen. That was when they realized they were in the Burrow and anyone could walk in on them. They immediately sat up as this realization hit them. Harry saw that the top two buttons of Ginny's shirt were undone and he smiled sheepishly as she closed them up. She returned his smile with a wide grin.

"Now _that_ was original."

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**AN**: Didn't really mean to get into detail about the kiss there. But it just happened. My hand may be disconnected to my brain...


	6. Fate's Debt

**AN:** Other title's I've thought of for this one are "Transacting with Fate", or "Transactions with Fate", but I think "Fate's Debt" is better in the end. What do you think? Well, tell me. Along with your reviews, of course. :D

Note: that was just a ploy to get you to review. So please, review. Thanks. :D

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"This way, Harry," Elias Arbela, the new head of the Auror department, said to him. He opened the door in front of them and led Harry into the Auror office.

Harry followed his new boss, carrying a medium sized box with him. It was a week from when Ginny and Hermione boarded the train to Hogwarts, and his first day as an Auror. Heads had turned when the door opened, and they stayed on him when they realized who he was. Those who weren't curious enough to check out the newcomer were elbowed by those sitting close to them so that it was only a matter of seconds before all eyes were on Harry. Some of them wore awestruck expressions, some smiled at him, while others waved. One bold, raven-haired woman a few years older than him called out "Hi, Harry", and he returned the greeting with a weak smile. She looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place where he had seen her before.

"This is your place," Elias Arbela said, indicating the table where they had stopped in front of. "And this is Liam Falcone, your partner," he gestured to a tall, brown-haired wizard sitting on the table next to Harry's. "He had just finished Auror training and he's the best in his batch."

Liam Falcone gave Harry a friendly wave and a smile.

"Well, I'll let you settle here for a bit," continued Elias Arbela, "get to know Mr. Falcone here…. And I'll meet you two at my office at ten to discuss your assignment…."

He clapped Harry's back and nodded at Liam Falcone. The two nodded respectfully at him, then he turned and headed for his office.

"Looks like this is my reward for being the best in my batch," Liam said to Harry. "Harry Potter as partner. Wow…."

Harry appreciated that he was saying it half-jokingly, the way George does it. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off as someone spoke behind him.

"Hi, Harry," the raven-haired woman from before greeted him. Harry turned to look at her with a blank expression. He still couldn't remember where he knew her from.

"You don't know me do you," she said. She had had a weird smile on her face, Harry couldn't place what it meant. "I'm Megan Almeida, I was a Gryffindor at Hogwarts, four years before you. I'm classmates with Oliver Wood," she added for good measure.

"Oh, yeah," Harry said in realization. So that was where he knew her from! "I'm Harry Potter," he said unnecessarily and stuck his hand out for her to shake.

"I know who you are, _Harry_," she said, emphasizing his name. She was wearing that weird smile again. She shook his hand and held it just a moment too long and when she let go, she brushed his palms with her fingers.

Harry was totally freaked out now. He smiled politely at her and turned back to his table. He started fishing the things out from his box and putting it on the table. He took out the pictures first. The first one was of him, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna. It was taken just two weeks ago. They decided to have it since they thought that they wouldn't see much of each other that year. The girls were going back to Hogwarts, Ron was going to help George with the jokeshop, Neville was going to the Mediterranean to research about magical plants and he, Harry, was going to be busy with Auror stuff.

He took out the second picture. It was of him and Ginny, taken during his sixth year. That picture was very special to him, it reminded him of the sunny days he had with Ginny. It reminded him that no matter what kind of muck he's going to get into, he'll always be alright because he had Ginny with him. It was taken under their favorite tree by the lake, and he had tried to sneak a kiss from her at the last moment. The picture now showed repeated playbacks of him trying to kiss Ginny as she moved away because he was tickling her ear. He couldn't help but smile at the very cute expression on her face as she tried to escape him. The picture was taken by Colin Creevey, and that had given it more meaning. Ginny had requested that he, Harry, take it with him to display on his office table along with the others. He didn't need to be told twice, he had thought of doing it before she asked him.

The third picture was of Ginny, standing by the window in her room. He had taken it two days before she left for Hogwarts, telling her that he really wanted a picture of her since he's going to really miss her that year. She was just standing there in the most normal clothes, wearing jeans and a Holyhead Harpies shirt that was a little too big for her, but nobody could ever look more beautiful to Harry. Sometimes, she would look contemplatively out the window and the sunlight would shine on her face, and she would look so ethereal, like an angel who had fallen from heaven. At other times, she would look directly at him with the most beautiful smile on her face and he couldn't help but think: she is heaven herself.

"Is that you girlfriend?" asked Megan Almeida, pulling Harry away from his dreamy thoughts. The casualness in her voice was so obviously faked that Harry winced. He chose to ignore it though.

"Yeah," he replied, smiling happily at Ginny's picture. "Ginny Weasley, she's in her seventh year at Hogwarts now. She almost didn't want to go, too. Said there was no point in taking her NEWTs since she's going to play for the Harpies. Well, that's Ginny for you, she knows what she wants. And I know she's going to get it," he added fondly.

He looked at Liam and Megan, who had blank expressions on their faces. Lately, he had gotten into the habit of talking at great lengths about Ginny and most of those who didn't know her would always give him the very same blank expressions the two people beside him were wearing. He smiled sheepishly at them.

"I mean, yeah, she's my girlfriend," said Harry.

"Wow," said Megan. She put her hand lightly on his shoulder. "Some people are _so_ lucky," she said, prolonging the 'so'. She gave him that weird smile again and he could have sworn that she winked at him. He ignored her weird behavior again.

"Yeah, well, after everything I've been through… Fate owed me one," he said with a nod that was as fervent as his tone.

Megan Almeida finally stopped smiling her weird smile. She actually seemed rather frustrated at him now.

"Well, I better get back to my report," she said, a little too sharply. And without a backwards glance, she turned and headed back to her desk.

"Mate, you totally missed her point," Liam said when Megan was safely out of earshot. Harry turned to look at him and saw that he was wearing an amused grin on his face. "She meant that Ginny, your girlfriend, is the lucky one," he explained to Harry.

"Oh?" said Harry. He suddenly understood the meaning of Megan Almeida's weird behavior. He turned to look at her and saw that she was wearing a huge frown on her face. He felt guilty, but only a little.

"Well, she thought wrong," he said.

He looked at his picture of Ginny, she was wearing that smile this time. The smile he loved so much. She is definitely the strongest, wittiest, most beautiful, and most disarming girl—no, woman—he had ever met. Sometimes, he couldn't believe that she loved him too. She had waited for him since she was eleven, then waited again when he went to hunt for the Horcruxes. She stood by him during the aftermath of his greatest battle. He knew that he wouldn't have healed as nicely or as quickly as he did if it weren't for her. She was both his rock to lean on and his bed to lie on. True, he did save the Wizarding world, but sometimes, he couldn't help but think, Fate paid with huge interests.

Harry looked at his new partner and fixed him with the surest gaze and the greatest conviction.

"_I'm_ the lucky one."

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**AN:** The statement 'Fate owed me one' was inspired by a passage in the book Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. If you haven't read it, I recommend that you do. It's amazing. Great story, great plot, great writing...


	7. For You

**AN:** Skip at your own risk. Kidding.

Wow, it's been a while since I updated--about a month, I think. I was (and still am) working on this multi-chaptered fic about Harry's life without Voldemort (it's mainly HG), and I had this MASSIVE mental block when it came to a part where I had to write in Ginny's POV. It's really NOT easy to write in a thirteen year old girl's POV, even if it's Ginny. You're wondering what my point is? Because I have no idea what it's like to be a thirteen year old girl who had just realized that she had a crush on someone, I had said mental block. I tried writing other fics, one-shots, but somehow that mental block seemed to creep everywhere. I had a few one-shots in mind that I was not able to write because of that mental block. Yes, I'm babbling (again). Sorry about that.

Anyway, this fic is not like the ones before, which are quite lighthearted. That's because this is actually inspired by a song. Not that songs are sad, it's just this is how I imagined the song would apply to HG. It's not necessarily a songfic though. I've also posted this one-shot in my 'Echo of the Spheres' work, which is a collection of fics inspired by songs. You can check the lyrics to this song there. The song is called 'For You', by Barenaked Ladies.

That's all. If you've reached this part, thank you for listening--er, reading, I mean.

Please Review. :D

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Harry crept slowly down the Burrow's staircase, making sure to avoid the creaking steps so as not to wake the house's sleeping occupants. He paused outside a door, hesitating before pushing his hand through his Invisibility Cloak to grip the knob. Cautiously, he twisted the doorknob. It wasn't locked. He wavered for another moment, then slowly, he pushed the door open.

Ginny lay sleeping on her bed, moonlight illuminating her beautiful face. She was frowning slightly. Even in dreams, peace was a foreign concept, and Harry felt a cold hand grip his heart. He glanced at Hermione to make sure she was sleeping before silently making his way towards Ginny.

Harry sat on the floor, observing the red-headed girl. Her face was turned towards him, a lock of hair straying over it. His eyes travelled from her red hair, to her closed eyes, her freckled nose, her soft lips, and to her neck, her skin a milky white. The rest of her was covered in a blanket but he could see her shape just under it, see her chest rising and falling as she breathed.

He didn't know what he was doing there, sitting on the floor in front of her in the middle of the night. He was ready. He was prepared to do anything and everything, no matter what the cost. He had let go of everything that was dear to him—Quidditch, Hogwarts, his adopted family, his friends, his future. He would have let go of Ron and Hermione too, if they hadn't insisted, firmly, that they will go with him. They gave him no choice, but she did. He knew it was for the best but—

_I can't let you go_. The cold hand tightened its grip around his heart and he felt a stinging around his eyes. _I can't let you go. I want to let you go. I have to let you go. I can't put you in danger. I've made up my mind_—

_What am I doing here? I know I did the right thing._

It had taken him ages to finally decide to break up with her. He had kept going back and forth, weighing things in his head. But in the end, he had decided that he could not, _would not_, sacrifice her safety for his comfort.

_But I can't let you go._

*

He watched her sleeping peacefully, and he thought of everything they'd been through. When he looked back on it, he realized that he had already loved her then. But he never admitted it at the time, never thought of it, never even considered it. It was a secret to everyone, including himself. He supposed that he was scared to admit it. Not because of what he felt, but because of what it meant, what it could cause. His connection with Riddle's mind was too open, and he could not risk the bastard finding out about it. But then again, if Riddle had known, maybe the bastard would not have done anything about it. Riddle had a very little understanding of love. But he was glad that he never had to find out just how much Riddle understood.

Riddle. The Chamber. It seemed like fate. She fell for him. And she had to be the one he fell for. Fate was cruel. All she did was love him. He did not want her to suffer. Back then, he had wished that he had fallen for another girl. It was foolish, if it was another girl, he would still feel for the other girl. But that was even more foolish. He could not _fathom_ ever falling for someone else.

*

Ginny shifted slightly on the bed. Harry sat alert and made sure that he was completely covered with the Cloak, but she had not woken.

_Maybe…maybe I don't have to let you go. You can come with us. We'll be together. I'll keep you safe. Snape and Malfoy already know about us. They'll tell him. You'll be safer with me._

He wished that she would wake up and see him there. He wished he could take off his Cloak and take her in his arms. He wondered if she knew, if his presence somehow made its way into her dreams. He wanted her to know that he was right there, in front of her.

_Beside you_.

There was only one place he ever wanted to be, and that was right beside her. With her, he could not ask for anything more.

_But I can't be with you. I'm the only one who can do it. I have to do it. And I can't take you with me. I can't risk your life. This—I have been marked. I can't involve you. I don't want to involve you. I have to let you go. I don't want to put you in danger. I'm only doing this for you._

*

The sun started to rise above the horizon, signifying the start of another day. Another day to be grateful for. Another day with her. There had been a time when he thought that he would not live to see this day. He was the 'Boy Who Lived', the 'Chosen One', and everyone looked at him like some kind of miracle. To the other side, he was 'Undesirable Number One', to everyone else, he was their salvation. It was a burden too heavy to carry for an adult. He carried it because he had to. They saw him as a hero. Some, if not most, still do. But he was only a boy, and even though he did it because no one else can, he also did it for her. The kiss she had given him had been one of the things that kept him going. He had many reasons for coming back. She was one of them. Her kiss reminded him that he still had a lot to live for.

*

A cloud shifted and the gibbous moon shone even brighter on Ginny's face. Harry could not help but be amazed by her beauty. It was effortless. She was beautiful inside and out. Nobody could _ever_ compare. The guy she'll end up marrying would be the luckiest guy in the world. Maybe—just maybe—if he succeeded, it could be him.

_If this ends—__when__ this ends. Once everything is over…I'll come back. I promise. I'll never leave you again. I'll never let you go. I'll do anything you want me to. I'll show you just how much you mean to me. I know you understand why I have to go. I'll do my best to come back. I promise. For you._

Ginny's hair sparkled under the moonlight. Harry wanted to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her. He wanted to feel her head against his chest, her lips against his, feel her skin. He wanted to bury his face in her hair and smell her flowery scent. He contented himself with brushing the stray lock of red hair from her face. He held on to it for a while, his disembodied hand floating almost creepily over her head. But he could not stay any longer. He had to go.

He stood up slowly, sadly. Everything felt like lead, especially his heart. Harry gave one last longing look in Ginny's direction before heading towards the doorway. His hand floated out of thin air as he twisted the doorknob.

"Harry," she called softly, sleepily.

Harry turned around and grinned at Ginny. The bright sunlight filtered through the window into their as yet undecorated bedroom. The walls were white, making the room seem even brighter. Sunlight, however, had nothing on Ginny.

She smiled back at him, her head propped on one hand. She was wearing a sleeveless cotton shirt and light-blue shorts. The sight of her…well, it floored him.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked lightly.

"To make breakfast," replied Harry. "For you," he added with a smile.

"Breakfast can wait. Come here."

Ginny wiggled her finger at Harry in a 'come-hither' gesture. He jumped on the bed, making it creak. She laughed softly and swatted his arm playfully. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He wrapped her arms around her and inhaled deeply, smelling flowers.

"Are you coming to the Charity Ball next week?" asked Ginny. "There are a lot of reporters there—but I kind of like having you with me—"

"I'll come," Harry said fervently.

"Thanks," said Ginny, giving him the smile she reserved for him and for him alone. The smile that he had fought for.

Harry smiled back at her. "For you."

----------------------

**AN:** Yeah, it got (sort of) lighthearted in the end. I'm a sucker for happy endings.

As you may have realized, the last two parts don't have a 'scene break' between them. I did that on purpose to confuse the readers. I hope you got confused. Cheers.


	8. This is Right

**This is Right**

Harry left the Burrow's sitting room feeling slightly out of sorts. He had just had the most interesting conversation with the five Weasley boys and he wasn't sure whether to be amused or frightened about what they'd just said to him. He passed the kitchen and made his way to the garden, where Ginny was lounging peacefully under the shade of her favorite tree.

She gazed up at him as he approached, her brown eyes dancing, her smile making him want to break out in a song. Soon, he was going to be her husband. The thought made his heart radiate warmth throughout his whole body.

"You're still in one piece," she commented calmly as he sat down beside her.

Harry leaned in for a kiss before answering. "Yeah, I told them you've taken your Bat-Bogey Hex to the next level."

Ginny laughed softly. It was the most beautiful, melodious, and mesmerizing sound Harry had ever heard.

"And that stopped them?" she asked, amusement evident in her voice.

"Mostly," replied Harry honestly. "There were still threats though."

"Yeah? Like what?" she asked curiously. By the tone of her voice, she seemed to think that her brothers would never carry out any of those threats.

"It's different for each one."

Ginny shifted so that she was directly facing Harry. "Do tell," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Harry smiled, deciding that amusement was the right reaction to his conversation with her brothers. There was no reason for him to be frightened. He could take any of her brothers on, but that wasn't the reason for his amusement. Everyone knew he would never hurt her. The Weasley boys had all been smiling when they dished out their individual threats. That didn't mean that they were kidding, though. At Ginny's prompting, he began to enumerate the threats, his amusement increasing with each brother.

"What'd Bill say?" asked Ginny.

"He'd lock me up in a cursed tomb and leave me there to rot," replied Harry.

Ginny chuckled appreciatively. "He always was my favorite brother," she said. "Charlie?"

"Feed me to the dragons."

"Quick and simple," she commented, nodding. "That's Charlie for you. Percy?"

"He'd hunt me down, and kick my ass," he said with an incredulous snort.

"He was never one for creativity," she said wisely. "Threatening to lecture you about cauldron bottom thickness would have been more effective."

Harry chuckled in agreement.

"George?" continued Ginny.

"He'd stick Wildfire Whizzbangs up my arse," replied Harry.

"Ouch," she said, wincing.

"My sentiments exactly," said Harry, nodding in mock-seriousness.

Ginny giggled softly. "And Ron?" she finally asked.

"He'd kill me with his bare hands."

Ginny scrunched up her nose. "Nasty."

"Tell me 'bout it," said Harry, thinking of all her brothers' threats. He suddenly felt a little intimidated.

Ginny cocked her head sideways and gazed up at him as though she had just discovered something. "You never liked them easy, did you?" she commented.

Harry knew she meant him choosing a girl with a lot of older brothers. He smiled, remembering something his late headmaster had said.

"You remember what Dumbledore said in my fourth year—your third—at the end of term feast?" he said, knowing that he did not need to specify all the other things that had happened that year. "About choosing between what is right and what is easy?"

"Uh-huh," Ginny said with a nod and a slight frown, obviously wondering what he was going on about.

"Well, this is right," Harry said simply.

He was rewarded with a kiss that would have made her brothers carry out their threats anyway, whether he hurt her or not, Bat-Bogey Hex or no Bat-Bogey Hex.

--------------------

**AN:**

I got the idea for this fic after reading BeccaFran's "Ten Easy Steps to a Happier, More Fulfilling Life" (it's a good story, you should check it out). She had Charlie threaten Harry to being fed to the dragons if he hurt Ginny. He did it casually and later on, Harry told Ginny about it just as casually. I think that's how the Weasley brothers' "threats" would go, casually but they still mean it. And Harry and Ginny would just laugh about it because they both know it will never happen... :D

Anyway, this story has been sitting on my computer for weeks, but I couldn't come up with a good idea for George's threat to Harry. I've only just thought of the Wildfire Whizzbangs a few minutes ago, and I immediately finished the story. I hope the Wildfire Whizzbangs was George-y enough. What do you think?


	9. I've Never Done This Before

He was just going back to his compartment, and she was just getting out of the one she shared with her classmates.

He stared at her. Oh, she was as beautiful as ever, but she looked sad and weary. She did not have her usual vibrancy. He knew it was because of their headmaster's death and what it could mean to their world. But he couldn't help thinking it was because of what he did too.

"Ginny, I—"

She held out a hand to stop him. He was grateful that she did. He really had no idea what to say to her. He tore his gaze away from her and put his hand on the door handle.

"Harry," she called softly before he could open the door to his compartment. He looked back at her, a part of him hoping that she would ask to get back together. "Will you just stand there for a moment?"

So he did. Partly out of confusion of what she had requested of him, partly out of hope that she would ask for more. But she only stared at him.

"I've never done this before," she said after a moment.

"What?"

"Have someone break up with me," she said simply.

She gave him a smile. A small, sad smile that shattered his already broken heart into finer pieces. And before he could form the words for his reply—not that he had any—she walked away from him.

He didn't quite know how long he had stared at the spot where she had stood before he entered the compartment and took his seat. He stared unseeingly out the window, hiding his watery eyes from his best friends.

Unlike her, he had done this before. Over the course of his life, he'd had to let go of people he cared deeply about. One would think that he would have gotten used to it by now. Maybe it was because it was so fresh. Maybe it was because, unlike the others, he didn't _have_ to let go. But this one seemed to hurt the most.

* * *

**AN:** The "I've never done this before" line is from a movie called "The Wackness". The original answer to the "What?" after that was "Have my heart broken". But I figured Ginny's had her heart broken before.


	10. A Good Boyfriend

**AN:** This story has some themes in common with "Fate's Debt" and "This is Right". Namely, someone's lucky and Harry gets threatened (again).

* * *

Harry let out a huge sigh of resignation as he took a box of tissues from the cupboard in the bathroom. Ginny had just arrived that morning from a month long promotional tour with the Holyhead Harpies and other Quidditch teams in mainland Europe. The two of them had spent the afternoon at the Burrow, where her family had held a small welcome-home party for her. Harry had been looking forward to an evening alone with her and it was with huge relief that they finally left for their own home at around eight o'clock. Instead of getting to hold her and kiss her to his heart's desire, however, he was now stuck with a crying girl.

Harry headed back to the living room and let out another wistful sigh as he watched his fiancée trying to comfort Ria Castro, the Holyhead Harpies' reserve Keeper. The girl had been waiting for Ginny outside her and Harry's flat, drowning in tears. The moment she saw Ginny, the reserve Keeper had launched into a story about how she returned home that morning only to find her boyfriend cheating on her with some girl named Sarah (or eating a Chimera—Harry couldn't really hear her properly through all the weeping). Now, more than thirty minutes later, she was still crying her eyes out.

Harry walked over to Ginny and her teammate. He handed the box of tissues to Ginny. She handed it to Ria, who promptly wailed even harder. And then Ria began to speak, somewhat incoherently.

"Oh, thank you, Harry—" incoherent words, "—good boyfriend—" more incoherent words, "—like you—" even _more_ incoherent words, "—Ginny's so lucky!"

Harry's eyes widened as he stared at the crying girl. He looked to Ginny for an explanation. She gave him a sheepish smile and an apologetic look.

"I'll be in the bedroom," he told Ginny. Her teammate was making him extremely uncomfortable.

Ginny gave him another half-grateful, half-apologetic look and a smile. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "I'll be there soon, promise," in his ear. He returned the smile and the kiss before heading to their room.

'Soon' turned out to be another thirty minutes. Harry heard the front door being opened, then closed, and a moment later, the door to the bedroom opened and Ginny walked in.

"Hey," she said softly, climbing onto their bed still fully-clothed. She took in Harry's less than happy expression. "Are you mad?"

"I'm a little annoyed with your friend," he replied honestly, reaching out for her.

"I'm sorry," she said, running her hand through his hair and letting them rest on his cheek. "Ria and her boyfriend had been dating for more than a year. She wasn't expecting to find him in bed with another girl when she'd been gone for only a month."

Harry only nodded, not wanting to talk about other people any longer. He captured Ginny's lips in his, reveling in the feeling of holding her, and kissing her, and simply being with her. She had been gone for a month and he'd missed her terribly. More than once, he had considered taking a leave from his work so that he could be with her and they could travel around mainland Europe together.

After several minutes, during which the silence was broken only by moans and gasps and whispers for each other's names, Harry and Ginny broke apart. She stared thoughtfully at him.

"Just so you know," she began, "if you ever cheat on me, I'll cut out your bits and feed them to Hagrid's newest hybrid."

Harry laughed out loud, then immediately stopped when Ginny didn't join him. He stared at her.

"You're serious," he said. She nodded. "I would _never _cheat on you!" he said loudly, insulted. "_Never_!"

"I know," she told him. "But say, you meet a very beautiful Veela with red hair and amazing Quidditch skills—"

"Ginny," he cut her off forcefully. "I don't love you because you're a hot redhead with amazing Quidditch skills! I mean, I love those things about you but if you think those're _why_ I love you, then we _really_ need to have a very long talk—"

Ginny suddenly swatted his chest. "You're ruining it!" she said, trying to sound annoyed, though Harry could see the corners of her mouth twitching up into a smile. "I'm trying to threaten you here, and then you go and say _that_!"

"Say what?" asked Harry, bemused.

Ginny responded by giving him a very deep and sweet kiss that made him feel as though he was high up in the air, her hands the gentle breeze that was caressing his hair. Harry really no idea what he had said to make her kiss him like that, but he wasn't about to complain. He kissed her back, letting himself drown in the taste of her lips. Regrettably, they had to breathe and they broke apart after a while.

Ginny stared at him, the love and affection in her eyes rendering him out of breath the same way her kiss had.

"Ria was right, you know," she said, smiling softly at Harry. "I _am_ lucky to have you."


	11. Shades of Brown

Hello everyone. It's been a while...

* * *

**Shades of Brown**

Harry could still remember the very first time Ginny looked into his eyes—properly looked into his eyes.

He remembered the exact date because it was on her fourteenth birthday.

She never used to be able to hold his gaze before. She used to be shy around him. She blushed, and stammered, and ran out of the room.

Then she got over him. (She told him much later that she only got over her shyness. She had never really been over him. He preferred her version of the story. She was the only one for him, so he wanted to be the only one for her too.)

She began talking to him on the first day he arrived at his godfather's house. She neither blushed nor stammered. And she didn't run out of the room whenever he entered. But it wasn't until several days later that he got to properly look into her eyes. He had not been having the best summer, and he was awful company. She refused to put up with him and preferred to hang out with her brothers. (She told him much later that she only avoided him the first few days because it would hurt her more than it would the others if he snapped at her. He answered that she was probably the only person he wouldn't snap at even then.)

He wasn't sure when he started fancying her, but he had always been fond of her. His younger self wasn't really aware of it, but he knew now, that from the very first time she ran out of a room because of him, he had always cared about her.

He had woken up late on her fourteenth birthday. Thoughts about Voldemort and worries about his hearing had kept him up the night before.

_Harry headed slowly to the dining room, trying his best to put his gloomy thoughts aside. It was Ginny's birthday, and the last thing everyone needed was for him to ruin the day with his dark mood. He tried to put a smile on his face. Failing that, he tried to keep himself from frowning._

_Ginny and Tonks were the only ones in the dining room. They looked up from their respective tasks when he entered._

"_Where's everyone?" he asked._

"_Kitchen," Tonks replied as Ginny went back to what she was doing. "Mrs. Weasley won't let Ginny see what they're making, so she asked me to trap her here," Tonks added with a smirk, cocking her head towards Ginny, who made a face to show her displeasure._

_Harry walked over towards Ginny._

"_Hi, Ginny," he said. She briefly looked up at him before turning her attention back to the muffins she had been sorting—blueberry and chocolate chip arranged alternately. He guessed that she was probably doing it out of boredom. "Happy birthday," he continued, greeting her._

(She had later told him that he had made her birthday by that simple greeting. It had been the first time he greeted her for her birthday, she pointed out. He thought he was the world's greatest prat for failing to greet her on her other birthdays. She reminded him that he hadn't been around on her previous birthdays, and that the first time she had greeted him for his birthday was on his seventeenth. He answered that her gift had been the best he had ever received up until that point.)

_Ginny picked two muffins from their tray—blueberry and chocolate chip._

"_Thank you," she said, smiling a confident smile that she had never directed at him before. Holding the muffins out to him, she raised her eyebrows in silent question of his choice._

And that was the moment. The very first time she ever held his gaze.

_Harry stared back into her eyes, his jaw dropping slightly as something like shock went through him. Ginny's eyes—Ginny had—_

Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of brown. From the very first time he really looked into her eyes, he had tried to come up with the right word to describe their exact color, but no one word is enough. They were stunning. They awakened something in him. They were on fire. They reminded him of sunrise. They mesmerized him.

Her eyes spoke to his soul.

"_Harry," Ginny called his attention. "Blueberry or chocolate chip?"_

Thinking back to that moment, he wasn't quite sure how long he had stared at her. It could have been a second or an hour. All he knew was that it had felt like the blink of an eye and forever at the same time.

_With a massive effort, Harry tore his gaze away from Ginny's eyes and turned his attention to the blueberry and chocolate chip muffins._

"_Er," he said distractedly._

_Operating on impulse, Harry picked the blueberry muffin, but only because Ginny held it closer to him while she pulled the chocolate chip muffin slightly back._

"_Oh, good!" Ginny said gleefully when he took the blueberry muffin from her. "More chocolate chip for me. Now I only have Ron to fight with," she added as she placed the chocolate chip muffin back into its tray._

_She then sat down and continued sorting the muffins, but not before she looked back up and smiled at him, her bright brown eyes full of mischief and amusement._

_He remained standing, nibbling on his blueberry muffin and smiling to himself as he watched her put aside a plate of chocolate chip muffins._

So he had stood there, the image of her eyes still fresh in his mind, half-aware that he was having an internal debate about shades of brown, and fully oblivious to the fact that he would be forever hers.

* * *

**AN:** I really hope I edited this properly. I'm very sleepy, but I don't want to put off uploading this any longer.


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